Toothbrush with toothpaste autodispenser

ABSTRACT

An oral hygiene device is disclosed. A toothbrush attached to a case or cartridge that works as a handle and contains toothpaste in its interior. To allow inner, fast and automatic toothpaste flow on the toothbrush bristles, a button (stopcock) located on the top of the case or cartridge has to be pushed down. Upon releasing the stopcock, toothpaste flow stops. The longer the stopcock is held down, the larger amount of toothpaste will flow on the bristles.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of oral hygiene.More specifically the invention relates to toothbrushes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Toothbrushes with combined toothpaste container are known in the art.There are several patents describing such combination. For example U.S.Pat. No. 6,685,375 describes a toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush, where atoothpaste injecting piston is operated by sliding the outer surface ofthe toothpaste container. U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,928 describes a brushwhere a toothpaste container is attachable and the toothpaste isreleased by squeezing the container wall.

This disclosure describes a novel, simple and practical toothbrush wherethe toothpaste is packed into a cartridge under pressure and thepressurized toothpaste is released on the brush bristles by pushing abutton on the cartridge that forms also a handle of the toothbrush. Thetoothbrush according to this invention is simple to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A toothbrush attached to a case or cartridge that works as a handle andcontains pressurized toothpaste in its interior is disclosed here. Toallow fast and automatic toothpaste flow on the toothbrush bristles, abutton located on the top of the case is pushed down to lineate anopening in a hatch with horizontal ducts. Upon releasing the stopcockbutton, toothpaste flow stops. The longer the stopcock button is helddown, the larger amount of toothpaste will flow on the bristles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. is a side elevation view of the toothbrush.

FIG. 2. is a side elevation view of the parts of the toothbrush.

FIG. 3. illustrates operation of hatch

FIG. 4. illustrates the structural parts of the toothpaste container orcartridge

FIG. 5 shows A) top view of the tooth brush unit, B) side view of thetooth brush unit and C) a case for the brush.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure describes a novel toothpaste dispensingtoothbrush. The toothbrush contains a brush unit 1, a cockstop unit 2and a cartridge or container unit 3. The cartridge or container containstoothpaste in pressurized form. The brush unit is attached to thecockstop unit which is attached to the cartridge or container unit. Toallow toothpaste flow onto the toothbrush bristles, a button 4 locatedon the top of the cockstop case is pushed down. Upon releasing thebutton the toothpaste flow stops. The longer the button is held down,the larger amount of toothpaste is flowing onto the brush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The toothbrush of the current invention includes four elements that beardirect relation between each other, since they are attached to eachother thereby forming one device.

-   -   a) Container unit (solid case) 3: This unit works as a handle of        the toothbrush and it contains pressurized toothpaste. One end        of the unit is closed with a cover 5 having an opening 6. The        stopcock unit 2 is attachable to this end of the container unit        The other end of the container is closed with an adjusting cap 7        that consists of a bottom 8 and a top 9 and a conical spring 10        in between of the bottom 8 and the top 9. When the container is        full of toothpaste the spring is in compressed state and once        the volume of toothpaste in the container decreases the spring        has more space to return to its rest position. The movement of        the spring allows the bottom of the cap to move and keep the        toothpaste in the container under pressure. The container unit        may have a window 11, to show the level of the toothpaste.    -   b) A stopcock unit 2: This unit consists of a vertical hatch 12        with and opening 13 on its top central part and two horizontal        ducts 14 with the same diameter than the opening of the hatch.        One end of the ducts locate close to the hatch below the hatch        opening and the other ends protrude out of the opposite walls of        the stopcock unit 2 to joint to the container unit 3 and the        brush unit 1. The hatch 12 stands on a conic spring 15 and the        upper part of the hatch protrudes out from unit thereby forming        a button 4. By pressing the button 4 the conic spring 15 is        compressed and the opening 13 of the hatch lineates with the two        horizontal ducts 14, thereby allowing the toothpaste flow from        the container 3 via the opening 6 in the cover 5 through the        ducts 14 in stopcock unit 2 to the brush unit 1. At the same        time the container 3 becomes emptier and the spring 15 moves        toward its rest state whereby the bottom 8 of the adjusting cap        7 moves inward and the rest of the toothpaste remains under        pressure.    -   c) A brush unit 1: This brush unit comprises a toothbrush with a        small horizontal duct 16 open at one end and leading to the        bristles 17 at the other end.    -   d) A rectangular case 18 to cover the bristles of the        toothbrush.

It would be clear to one skilled in the art that several modificationscould be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A toothpaste dispensing toothbrush comprising: a container unit, astopcock unit, and a brush unit; said container unit having a cartridgecontaining pressurized toothpaste; said cartridge further having a firstend and a second end; said first end being sealed with a cover having anopening and said second end being closed with an adjusting cap; saidadjusting cap consisting of a bottom, a top and a conical spring inbetween of the bottom and the top; and  said spring being in acompressed state when the container is full of toothpaste and being inrest state when the container is empty; the stopcock unit comprising acase, a vertical hatch, a conical spring, and two horizontal ducts, saidcase having four vertical walls and two horizontal walls; said verticalhatch having an upper end, a lower end and a central part; said upperend protruding out of a horizontal wall of the case and forming abutton, and said lower end standing on the conic spring; said hatchfurther having an opening in the central part; said horizontal ductshaving same diameter as the opening of the hatch, and said ducts havingfirst ends and second ends; said first ends locating at the hatch belowthe opening, and said second ends protruding out of two oppositevertical walls of the case; the brush unit comprising a toothbrush witha horizontal duct; said duct having a first end and a second end; thefirst end leading to bristles of the brush and the second end having adiameter similar as the ducts of the stopcock unit; said brush unitbeing attachable to one vertical wall of the case of the stopcock unitwhere one of the horizontal ducts protrudes the wall, and said containerunit being attachable from its first end to the opposite vertical wallof the case of the stopcock unit where the second duct protrudes; saidbutton providing a means to lineate the horizontal ducts and the hatchopening in the cockstop unit by compression of the conic spring, wherebythe pressurized toothpaste freely flows from the cartridge via theopening of the cartridge cover, through the cockstop ducts into the ductof the brush unit.
 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the cartridgehas a window showing the level of toothpaste.
 3. A method to dispensetoothpaste onto toothbrush bristle, by pressing a button on a toothpastedispensing toothbrush, wherein said toothbrush comprises: a containerunit, a stopcock unit, and a brush unit; said container unit having acartridge containing pressurized toothpaste; said cartridge furtherhaving a first end and a second end; said first end being sealed with acover having an opening and said second end being closed with anadjusting cap; said adjusting cap consisting of a bottom, a top and aconical spring in between of the bottom and the top; and  said springbeing in a compressed state when the container is full of toothpaste andbeing in rest state when the container is empty; the stopcock unitcomprising a case, a vertical hatch, a conical spring, and twohorizontal ducts, said case having four vertical walls and twohorizontal walls; said vertical hatch having an upper end, a lower endand a central part; said upper end protruding out of a horizontal wallof the case and forming a button, and said lower end standing on theconic spring; said hatch further having an opening in the central part;said horizontal ducts having same diameter as the opening of the hatch,and said ducts having first ends and second ends; said first endslocating at the hatch below the opening, and said second ends protrudingout of two opposite vertical walls of the case; the brush unitcomprising a toothbrush with a horizontal duct; said duct having a firstend and a second end; the first end leading to bristles of the brush andthe second end having a diameter similar as the ducts of the stopcockunit; said brush unit being attachable to one vertical wall of the caseof the stopcock unit where one of the horizontal ducts protrudes thewall, and said container unit being attachable from its first end to theopposite vertical wall of the case of the stopcock unit where the secondduct protrudes; said button providing a means to lineate the horizontalducts and the hatch opening in the cockstop unit by compression of theconic spring, whereby the pressurized toothpaste freely flows from thecartridge via the opening of the cartridge cover, through the cockstopducts into the duct of the brush unit